Welcome to Operations Unfiltered, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of influencer and talent management. I'm your host, Zarina, and on episodes when I'm not joined by a special guest, I like to do a deep dive into topics that have been top of my mind. Today's episode, we're going to dive into something that hits close to home for a lot of us, the rise. And slow decline of BET programming. Yes, we are going there. So get comfy because I've got thoughts.
So for those of you who don't know, BET is Black Entertainment Television. It was founded in 1980 by Robert Johnson, and it became the first cable television network targeting the Black audience. In its heyday, BET was the cultural epicenter. If you were Black. Into music, or just wanted to see something other than the mainstream, sort of cookie cutter media, BET had your back. They brought us iconic programs like Rap City, where we first saw hip hop videos before they were mainstream.
Comic View, a whole vibe, giving us comedy from Black voices like Cedric the Entertainer, D. L. Hughley, and some more. Back when comedians were super raw and hilarious. And, of course, we can't forget 106 Park. We'll talk more about that later. But let's just say it was one of the shows we all raced home to catch. BET was also known for its award shows. The BET Awards, the hip hop awards, the gospel awards. It was a time where the culture came together to celebrate Black excellence.
People used to throw watch parties. I mean, I remember being in high school and all of my friends would get together at one person's house and we would pop popcorn, watch the outfits. I mean, we all remember that iconic moment when Nipsey Hussle slapped a security guard. It was truly a time. But somewhere along the line, BET kind of lost its magic. The shows started disappearing one by one. College Hill, gone. The Game, shipped off to another network. Y'all remember that dating show, Hell Date?
Good times, but it didn't last. Even 106 and Park ended in 2014. And that's when a lot of us started side eyeing BET like, what is happening over there? I mean, I was sick of the constant reruns of baby boy. Like enough is enough. Fast forward to today and the decline is pretty obvious. Especially when you look at how they handled the recent BET Hip Hop Awards. Lauren La Rosa mentioned it on The Breakfast Club.
She mentioned that it was filmed on October 8th and aired on the 14th, but nobody even knew it was happening. Like, no shade, but how does your audience not know about it until after it airs? It was just honestly a lack of promotion, and I personally feel like that was a flop. It's like launching a new product without telling anyone. How, BET, how? And don't get me wrong, I have love for BET. So much love and admiration for the old regime, and even this new regime.
I think they're doing the best that they can in this modern society. But I remember when Stephen Hill was running things, that man gave us some of the most iconic cultural moments. I mean, Beyonce's jaw dropping performances, Monique as the host. Steve Harvey as the host, Michael Jackson tributes, Prince tributes, just legends honoring legends. We used to gather around the TV like it was a Black family reunion every year. The BET Awards weren't just a show, they were an experience.
And now it's like, oh, it's coming on still? When? What? I missed it? Like, it just doesn't hit the same. This brings me to 1 0 6 and park. Y'all. Can we have a come to Jesus moment about this? I don't know about you guys, but for me, 106 and Park was life. After school, I remember rushing home, plopping down on the couch and watching the countdown of the hottest music videos, interviews with artists, the live performances. If you were an artist and you made it on 106 and Park, you had arrived.
Everybody, tuned in to see who made that top spot. It was truly more than a show. It was the pulse of Black youth culture. We had AJ and Free, Terrence J and Roxy, Tigger and Julissa. Everybody held it down. the wild interviews, the wild fan interactions. Y'all remember that kiss between Bow Wow and Tyra Banks? That was hilarious. 106 in part created a space where the audience was involved. And that's something that we're missing today. Which brings me to this point.
BET, we need to bring back 106 in part. we just need it. We need it as a marketing moment for these artists. And a little bit of nostalgia, honestly. Imagine the power of these artists being able to debut their music live on air again. Connecting with fans in real time.
I know we have Twitter, we have threads, we have all of that, but real time, in front of an audience, that emotion, that engagement, that community, the same way that 106 Park was doing it before we had Instagram Live and TikTok Trends, I truly feel like artists need that space again to interact with their audience. And what better way than with a legendary show like 106 Park. Now, the host. I know some people are, AJ and Free, Team Terrence, Jay and Roxy, Big Tigger and Julissa.
I'm not mad at that. Terrence is a pro, Tigger is a pro, but I think they're all in different stages of their life, and it would be great to have them come back as, like, guest hosts. But maybe we could spice it up with some new energy, some people that we might be familiar with. I'm thinking maybe Nyla Simone. She's young, she's fresh. She knows the culture. I don't know if you guys are familiar with her. If you listen to The Breakfast Club, she does Pass the Ox on Friday. She has her podcast.
She just truly gives me A& R vibes. So I feel like she would be a great host for that. And Ivy Rivera. She's another one of Charlamagne Tha God's nieces, but she has her ear to the street. Great A& R vibes, and I think she already has a relationship with BET. So, if you guys are looking for hosts, those are my two candidates. And, of course, Lauren La Rosa, but I think she's good where she's at on Breakfast Club. They need to give her a fourth seat. But that's neither here nor there.
All in all, all of this ties back to marketing. Like when we look at the BT's decline or slow decline, we're really talking about a breakdown in their project management, in my opinion, and I could be completely wrong, but Hey, this is operations unfiltered. We're looking at this through a project management lens. And in my opinion, Running a network like BET is no different than running a brand campaign.
You've got to manage timelines, keep your audience engaged, and of course, promote your content. BET really used to be the king of that. Like, like I said, the BET Awards was a cultural moment. We all knew it was coming. We all were sitting watching the countdown shows. It was really a time. Now it feels like someone forgot to send a Slack reminder about it. Like, how are you going to throw a party of the year and forget to send the invites?
Honestly, I feel like they could use a project manager on deck or maybe Stephen Hill. Hey, where are you at? Give me a timeline, a marketing plan and some hype. We could be rolling out teasers, creating campaigns with influencers, doing countdowns, the whole nine yards. I mean that whole get ready with me trend would be great.
Could you imagine how many cross collaborative opportunities would be available for marketers if we really engaged them the way that they needed to be engaged for these big moments? And let's not forget the potential for 106 in part to also be a huge marketing tool for artists today. It's old school TV meets modern digital marketing. Honestly, if BET gets it together on the project management front, they could be at the forefront of blending nostalgia with the new era.
I mean, TRL might be making a comeback after 106 Park revival, right? All right, fam, that's all I've got for today. Let me know what you think. Should BET bring back 106 and Park? Should Terrence J make a comeback? Or should we get some fresh talent like Nyla Simone and Ivy Rivera? Drop your thoughts on Instagram at the Live More Agency or Ladies East Says. Make sure you hit that subscribe button and share this episode with your crew.
Until next time, y'all, I'll see you for the next episode of Operations Unfiltered.